


Default Setting

by Citlali



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Babies, Gen, Post-Season/Series 02, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 20:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6871936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Citlali/pseuds/Citlali
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The client asked him if he could watch the baby for five minutes while she used the bathroom, Foggy hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with that.</p><p>That was half an hour ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Default Setting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jankmusic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jankmusic/gifts).



Foggy hated losing. Unfortunately, in this case, he lost big. 

It was a custody battle. It was the kind of case more suited to what he used to take on at Nelson and Murdock than at his new job, but he knew the client. He’d gone to school with her brother, a member of Dogs of Hell, one of Castles victims. Even though it meant a big cut in his usual pay, he wasn't about to turn her away.

It was a complicated case. Cindy had no money, and she lived in a tiny apartment close to where she’d grown up. She had a history of drug abuse and a couple of misdemeanor convictions. On paper, she did not look like the ideal parent. The father, Jake Keith, on the other hand, looked great on paper. Full-time job, independently wealthy. What the paper didn’t show was that he was one of the founding members of the Dogs of Hell and a very dangerous person. Cindy was making a real effort to turn her life around. She had a new baby, no father in the picture, but she was trying really hard for both kids to make a good life for them.

And she loved her children, that was more important than being wealthy, wasn’t it?

Not to the courts. Foggy lost; Foggy knew the truth, but there was no hard evidence that Jake Keith was involved with anything illegal. Jake Keith was granted full custody of the boy and Cindy Thompson was only allowed to see her son on weekends.

To make matters worse, the accusations Jake Keith had made against Cindy in court had been enough for CPS to investigate her ability to take care of her baby daughter.

_And so when she’d come to see him today, peeking into his office and knocking on the door, he was more than willing to make time for her._

_“I need to talk to you,” she said, and then asked if he could watch the baby for five minutes while she used the bathroom. Foggy hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with that._

_That was half an hour ago._

_\---_

“You can’t keep that thing here.” Marci sat perched on the edge of Foggy’s desk and made a face.

“A baby isn’t a thing, it’s a baby. Anyway, it’s only for a couple of minutes, the mother said she’d be right back.”

“Really? How long ago was that now?”

“Half an hour,” Foggy huffed. He adjusted the baby to his other arm. “She’ll be back.”

Marcie rolled her eyes and tapped the diaper bag with her toe. “Have you checked for a note or anything yet?”

“No. And I’m not going to have to, because she is coming back.”

She hopped off the table. “You’re going to have to do something about it eventually.”

Foggy looked down at the baby in his arms, she was sleeping, and her soft hair tickled his neck. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your mom will be back soon.”

She wasn’t.

Foggy had managed to settle the baby on his client chair with his jacket rolled up to work as a bumper while he continued working. That lasted for an hour and then there was a noise. Kind of like a bubbly squirting…

Oh. Oh, shit. Foggy jumped up and grabbed the diaper bag, upending it to find the diapers. Yes. Diapers, a change mat, petroleum jelly, baby powder, wet wipes, a can of powdered baby formula and bottles. And an envelope. Shit. Shit. Shit.

First things first. Diaper. This was something he could do. That was one of the advantages of coming from a large family, someone was always having a baby. No problem. The diaper hadn’t leaked or anything. He placed the girl on the floor and cleaned her up, taped on a new diaper and tossed the poopy one in the trash. Good thing the janitors came around nightly to empty the garbage baskets.

The envelope. Foggy picked the little girl up and held her as he sat on the floor. Just a blank envelope. Sealed. It had been an hour and a half since the mom left to go to the bathroom. Unless she was _really_ constipated, this wasn’t going to end well.

He tore it open. Nope. Not good at all.

_He threatened to burn down my apartment if I take him back to court. He didn’t leave me any other choice. I need to stop this._

Foggy’s stomach felt queasy. _I need to stop this._ Where had he heard that before? Matt had said that when he’d been talking about taking down Fisk. Shit shit shit. He knew what Cindy was planning. It wasn’t good.

Marcie returned as he was packing up the bag. “So.”

“Not now.”

She held out a notepad. “I looked up the number for the local child protective services. This is abandonment Foggy.”

“It doesn’t have to be. Don’t give me that look.”

Marcie shrugged. “What look?”

“The 'I’m an idiot and will deserve whatever’s coming to me', look.”

She looked up at the ceiling as though contemplating. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course not.” The bag was repacked. Foggy had the note tucked carefully away in the side pocket. “If anyone asks, this is my sister’s baby. She had an emergency. I need the afternoon off.”

“If you get arrested, I’m not posting bail.”

“I’d never expect you to.” Foggy patted the baby’s back.

“What’s her name?”

“Amelia.”

“Call me later if you’re not in jail,” Marcie grinned.

Foggy walked out. He didn’t exactly have a plan. Not much of one anyway. He texted Karen to see if she was at work and headed to the New York Bulletin. At every turn, Foggy was acutely aware that he was holding someone’s baby. It wasn’t like baby’s had ID or anything, but what Marcie said stuck with him. What he was doing was technically illegal, and the child was technically abandoned. He should have called the number Marcie gave him.

He wondered if Karen would bail him out if he landed in jail…

She met him outside the office. The smile that had been on her face moments ago faded. “Foggy? I know it’s been a few months but-”

“Haha, no. I need your help.”

“This had better not be some misogynist bullshit about women being good with babies, because no. I have work to do.”

“I’m not,” Foggy assured her, but then adjusted and grinned. “Isn’t she cute? Her name is Amelia.”

“Is that her real name?”

“Yes. Actually.”

Karen narrowed her eyes and looked skeptical, but she did smile a little. “Yes, she’s cute. I’m not going to hold her.”

Karen brought him up to her office, and he told her about the mother dropping off the baby and going to the bathroom and not coming back.

“Did you check the bathrooms?”

“I didn’t need to. I have a note.” Foggy passed her a letter. Karen was silent as she read it, then looked up and narrowed her eyes.

“What do you intend to do?”

“I can help, but I need to find her first.”

“You’re insane, you know. You should call the authorities.”

“I was thinking of calling Matt.”

“I thought you two weren’t talking.”

“We aren’t, but this isn’t about me. Karen, can you help?”

“Yeah, I can help,” Karen smiled. “Did you try an internet search?”

“No, Karen, I’m completely incompetent and took a taxi across Manhattan just so you could do a google search for me. There’s nothing.”

“So, you think I’m going to be able to track down where this guy is living. I’m a reporter, not a private eye. Did you check the phone book?”

Foggy rolled his eyes. “Of course I did.”

“What about court documents.”

“That’s his listed address, he has multiple residences.”  

Karen grinned. “So you did come all the way across Manhattan just so I could do a google search for you. I charge by the hour, by the way.”

“Funny.”

“Wait until you get the bill.”  Karen did what she could. Back searches and news archive lists. “I’m apparently not the research wizard you think I am.”

“Thanks for trying.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“Go to the clubhouse, see if someone there can tell me what I need to know.”

“So, you plan to walk into the Dogs of Hell and ask for the address of one of their most prominent members? Foggy. Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m trying to stop someone _else_ from doing something stupid and ruining their lives.”

“At least call Matt first. Please. I’m going for a coffee, call him,” she said and stood up.

Foggy nodded. “I don’t even know if he’s going to agree to help me or not.”

Karen smiled sadly. “We both know that’s not true,” she said and closed the door.

Foggy sighed and opened the contacts on his cell phone.

_Matt Murdock, leave a message at the sound of the tone._

Foggy almost hung up. He should have known it would go to voicemail. “Hey. Matt. I’ve, uh, I’m, I need a favor. I’m going to-” The baby wiggled in Foggy’s arms and started to cry. He needed to make a bottle. There was no way he was going to explain everything in a voice mail with a baby crying in the background. “Call Karen, she knows what’s going on. And, look, if you’re busy, or you have other things going on, don’t worry about it. It’s not that big of a deal.”  

He ended the call. He could do this without Matt’s help.

Easy as pie.

Karen took the baby after all. There was no way she was letting him take a baby to the Dogs of Hell clubhouse.

\---

Foggy stood outside the front doors, thinking this is a terrible idea. Chances were that Foggy would get the shit kicked out of him and he still wouldn’t be any closer to finding Jake Keith.

But there was a chance it would work out.

Maybe he’d find Jake Keith, maybe he’d find Cindy and talk to her reasonably and resolve everything. No one had to get killed and no children needed to end up in CPS custody.

And maybe pigs could fly.

Deep breath, one foot in front of the other.

And.

A hand reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side into a deserted alley.

“Foggy, what the hell are you doing?”

Shit. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack. Daredevil. “Matt.” Foggy allowed himself to breath with relief. “You got my message.”

“Yes. Karen told me what you’re doing. You can’t go in there. Do you have any idea what these people are like?”

“Of course I do. I’ve been in there before, they’re just a bunch of guys with beards. Mind you, I almost didn’t come back out, but I’ll be fine.”

“Foggy, you can’t be doing these things,” Matt’s voice was exasperated. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Really, Matt? We don’t talk for months and you’re going to pretend you have some kind of say in what I can and can’t do? You lost that privilege when you kicked me out of your life.”

“You sound like Karen.”

“Karen is a smart cookie. You should listen to her.”

“I only want to keep you safe.”

“Then I suggest you find a better way than pushing us away.”

Matt crossed his arms and Foggy recognized that gesture. This argument is officially over, despite how much it really wasn’t. “You asked me to be here. Karen said you need to find someone named Jake Keith.”

“Yes.”

“Karen took the baby to wait for us at my apartment, join her there and I’ll meet you when I have the information we need,” Matt said, and then lurked off into the shadows.

Damn it, Matt. If it was dangerous for him, then it was dangerous for Daredevil too. To hell with it. He was waiting. He paced the alley.

It only took fifteen minutes, and Daredevil came sauntering back into the lane, completely alive and cocky as hell.

“I told you to go wait for me at home.”

“Just for the record, your apartment isn’t my home.”

Matt clenched his jaw.

“Did you get the information?” Foggy asked. He was not going to let Matt’s Evel Knievel biker wear intimidate him.  

“Yes. Please. Go to my apartment, I’ll meet you there.”

“You’re not even going to walk with me?”

“And that wouldn’t look suspicious at all,” Matt deadpanned.

Okay. He had a point. Foggy flagged down a cab on the nearest main road. It was a short ride and Matt was already inside by the time he went in.  Karen deposited the baby back into his arms as soon as he walked in the door. Foggy smiled and kissed the little girls forehead. “Hey pumpkin, was Aunty Karen good to you?”

The baby sucked her fingers and drooled. Foggy really hoped he would find Cindy soon.

Matt was already changed and wearing street clothes. The three of them stood to face each other. Awkwardly.

“So,” Foggy said. “You’re going to tell me what you found out.”

Matt nodded. “He lives in New Rochelle.”

Foggy rubbed the baby’s back and bounced on his toes a bit as she started to fuss.

“How do we know we aren’t already too late?” Karen asked.

“We aren’t,” Matt assured them. “Jake Keith is away on business and won't be back until late tonight,” Matt added. “The boy is being looked after by a nanny.”

“Okay,” Foggy squared his shoulders, well, as much as he could with a baby in his arms. “Thanks for the help. Karen, can I borrow your car?”

“No, I’m coming with you,” she protested.

“Me too,” Matt added.

Foggy rolled his eyes. “I’m just going to talk to her. There’s no reason for everyone to get involved.”

“We’re already involved. You came to us for help,” Karen argued.

“And you helped. Thank you. Now I’ve got the rest covered.”

Matt looked skeptical. “By taking a baby to a potential crime scene.”

“By showing the mother of the baby what she’s going to lose if she goes through with what she’s planning. I lost the case, but I can still fight for her, we can still win this. He’s got her scared, but I need her to see that violence isn’t the answer.”

“We’re going with you,” Matt said.

At least he didn’t put the suit back on.

Karen drove, Foggy sat in the back with the baby and before he could do anything about it, Matt sat back there with him as well. It was awkward. Foggy pressed himself against the door to make more room.

“I’m not a chauffeur,” Karen complained, not that it did any good. Matt didn’t budge.

It was a forty-five-minute drive. If Foggy expected Matt to talk, he was disappointed. He just sat, saying nothing. Giving no reason for sitting in the back with him.

“You didn’t have to come,” Foggy said, sick of the silence.

“I wanted to,” Matt answered. He turned in his seat so that he was facing Foggy. “I was in a meeting. That’s why I didn’t answer the phone. I want you to know, I would have answered.”

“Thanks,” Foggy turned as well, facing Matt. “How’s the firm?”

“We’re holding our own.”

“We?”

“Me. I guess. I have a temp secretary; her name is Nancy. She takes calls and reads the mail.”

“Do the clients still pay you in baked goods?”

Matt nodded and smiled. “Sometimes.” He cleared his throat. “I’m aware you’ve sent some clients my way. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, I wouldn't have done it if I didn’t think you were the best option for them. You’re an excellent lawyer, Matt, when you don’t let your hobbies interfere.”

“It’s not a hobby.”

“Yeah. I know. Sorry.”  

They were silent for a while. Foggy rubbed his finger along little Amelia’s forearm, and she giggled. “Do you want to hold her?” Foggy reached out and passed the baby over to Matt.

He took her easily, Foggy had noticed before, at Christmas gatherings at the Nelson’s, how adept Matt was with babies and little kids. Matt had told him it was from growing up in the Orphanage; there had always been lots of little kids around.

He was still Matt. He was Daredevil too, but he was Matt as well. Foggy could see it, he just wished Matt could see it as clearly.

They reached the address, it was an estate, not as big as some of the others around, but big enough to be gated. Everything was dark, and Matt passed Amelia back to Foggy. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she isn’t here.”

Matt tilted his head to the side a bit, listening. “There’s someone here.” He got out of the car. Foggy passed Amelia to Karen before following, and they stood together for a moment in the dark. “Near the gate in the bushes. She has a gun.”

“Anyone else around?”

“No. No one.”

“I need to talk to her.”

“You’re sure about this?” Matt asked.

“She’s a good person, Matt. She’s just, confused. I need to talk to her.”

Matt took the baby and leaned against the car. Waiting.

“Cindy?” Foggy walked forward, hands up. “It’s just me. Come out and talk, okay?”

She came out. The gun Matt had sensed wasn’t in her hand, at least, and Foggy stepped forward and met her halfway. They talked for half an hour. Telling her not to give up hope, she could still get her son back, he had friends who were willing to help keep her safe. She still had her daughter who needed her. Her son still needed her.

In the end, she gave him the gun and came back to the car. Matt took the front seat on the way home, Foggy sat in the back with Cindy and the baby, and Karen dropped her off at her apartment, and then Karen drove Foggy to his apartment.

Matt got out with him, he spoke to Karen, she got out and gave Foggy a hug, told him not to be a stranger and went home, leaving Foggy and Matt on the sidewalk.

“You want me to invite you in?” Foggy asked.

“Please.”

“Come on in,” he led the way.

Matt settled in on the couch. Foggy made some coffee. The silence was not comfortable.

Foggy passed him the cup of coffee, he didn’t need to ask what Matt wanted in it.

“I’ve missed you,” Matt said, the first to break the silence.

Foggy sat beside him. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Matt nodded. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“You told me I’m better off without you. Has that changed?”

Matt shook his head. “No.” He took a breath. “But, _I’m_ not better off without _you_. I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to help with the trial; that I lied and kept secrets from you.”

“You know; it wasn’t so much the trial as it was the lies. I thought you trusted me.”

“I do, I trust you, Foggy.” Matt sighed and put the coffee on the side table. “I want secrecy to stop being my default setting. Especially around my best friend. Will you help me?”

“I can try,” Foggy said and put down his coffee as well.

“That’s all I’m asking,” Matt smiled.

 

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: Fic with the happiest Foggy holding a baby. Could be his sister's baby. Could be a client's baby. Could be HIS baby. Who knows? Just happy baby-holding-Foggy Nelson! And Matt. And Karen. But mostly Foggy. Preferred Genre: General/Humor Preferred Rating: Up to Teen Would you be interested in receiving a fic with sexual content: Hell Yes Anything else you’d like included: S2 fix it fic, where maybe Foggy has this baby, and Matt/DD saves it, and WHAM! After not speaking for months, they try being friends again (and are successful)! Anything you don’t want included: No one dies!
> 
> \---  
> Last bit of conversation is lifted directly from Daredevil 2011 #22  
> \--- 
> 
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